
MEADE 


What 

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told 

Little Elsie 


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Negro Folk Lore 
Stories 


% 

SALLIE SOUTHALL COTTEN 

H 


WHAT <AUNT DORCAS 
TOLD LITTLE ELSIE 


Copyrighted 1923 

N. C. FEDERATION OF WOMEN’S CLUBS 


Published by 

Queen City Printing Company 
Charlotte, N. C. 













* 





°OtgilG f 
A/ A 77 


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LSIE GILMORE was born in 
New England and knew all 
about Plymouth Rock and the 
Pilgrim Fathers. She could tell 
about the battle of Bunker Hill and 
describe Paul Revere’s Ride, but she 
knew absolutely nothing about Southern 
negroes. So when her mother went to visit 
a school friend in Alabama and took Elsie 
with her, the little girl was fascinated by the 
shining black faces and strange dialect of the 
negro women who were the domestic ad¬ 
juncts of Mrs. Hardee’s home. She was a 
little chary of the negro chauffeur, but her 
greatest joy was an old negro woman, dai- 

3 












ly attired in an immaculate white apron and 
cap, who seemed to have no special duties, 
but who was ready when called upon for 
such services as she was still capable of ren¬ 
dering. Every one called her “Aunt Dor¬ 
cas” and the familiar title puzzled Elsie. One 
day she asked Mrs. Hardee the direct ques¬ 
tion as to whether Aunt Dorcas was truly 
her “aunt.” 

“Oh! no,” replied her hostess, “that is 
only an old Southern custom. When Aunt 
Dorcas was a child, she and all her people 
were owned by my grandfather. Her 
mother was my Black Mammy, and for 
many years Aunt Dorcas was my cook. 









When her mother became too infirm to work 
we supported her until she died, and now 
we are doing the same for Aunt Dorcas. 
The families have never drifted apart as so 
many did when the slaves were made free. 
We cannot turn her adrift because we love 
her, and she has no children to care for her. 
but calling her “Aunt” is only an old cus¬ 
tom to which some Southerners cling.” 
This explanation satisfied Elsie and being of 
a social temperament, she and Aunt Dorcas 
became very friendly. 

Some days later the two school friends 
were to attend a dinner party in honor of 
Elsie’s mother. Aunt Dorcas was requested 












to sit in the room with Elsie until they re¬ 
turned. This arrangement delighted Elsie 
and after she was ready for bed she begged 
Aunt Dorcas for a story and suggested that 
she tell her again about the Tar Baby. 

“Doan yon nebber git tired uv dat sticky 
Tar Baby?” inquired Aunt Dorcas. “Hit 
peers to me dat nice little gyurls lak you is 
orter hear erbout flowers, an’ burds, an’ 
bees, an’ sich like. I’se gwinter tell you er 
new wun dis time erbout de bees an’ de 
honeysuckles.* My mammy uster tell it to 
us chillun when we wuz little.” Elsie, alert 

*A wild azalea, indigenous to the South, and known as honey¬ 
suckles because of their nectar-filled blossoms. Though full of honey 
the bees never gather it. 




















with interest, snuggled down in the bed 
while Aunt Dorcas proceeded. 

“In de beginnin’ you know how Gawd 
made everythin’ fur Adum an’ den made 
Sunday fur heseff. He tole Adum not to 
mek de animals work on dat day, an’ sed fur 
everything to rest on dat day coz it wuz 
Gawd’s Day. Everything had its own ’pint- 
ed duty for to do, an’ de bees wuz jes made 
fur to git honey frum de flowers. Dat wuz 
dey speshul work. When de spring time 
cum and de woods wuz full er honeysuckles 
den de trubble begun. De pink an’ white 
honeysuckle flowers wuz jess plum full er 
honey and de bees worked nite an’ day erget- 









tin’ it out. Den de Sabbath Day dawned 
an’ de bees membered it wuz Gawd’s Day 
and dey wuz tole fur to rest dat day. De 
bees, dey didden know how to rest, coz dey 
wuz made fur to work stiddy. All dey 
knowed wuz how to make honey. 

“Dey buzzed erroun’ an’ erroun* an’ den 
flocked inter de woods fur ter discuss de sit- 
terwashun. De Queen Bee leff her throne 
an’ set in er tree fur ter lissen ter de arger- 
fying.’ Everywheres dem bees swarm¬ 
ed till de trees wuz full uv ’em. Dey buzzed 
and dey buzzed, an’ dey buzzed. Bime-by 
wun bee sed, ‘whut is we gwinter do, rest or 
work?’ 






















Ernudder bee buzzed out, “Bees kant rest. 
Bees gotter work, bees doan know how to 
rest.” 

‘But we wuz tole ter rest one day,” 
buzzed er ole fat bee who wuz er gittin* lazy 
anyway. 

“ ‘Yes,’ buzzed ernudder bee, ‘but we wuz 
tole ter wuk six days an’ rest one day, so wuk 
must shore be wuff six time more dan rest.’ 

‘Dat’s so,’ buzzed ernudder bee, “but 
how cum dat honey in de honeysuckles doan 
nebber stop to rest? Dat honey jess flows 
all de time an’ doan nebber stop on Gawd’s 
Day.’ 









“Dis caused er grate commoshun, an’ de 
bees buzzed louder dan ever. Den wun sol¬ 
ium old Bumble Bee sed, ‘dat settles hit. De 
honey flowers doan nebber stop ter rest an’ 
wuk am wuth six times more dan rest is, so 
we’ll git dat honey, an’ when dem honey¬ 
suckles rest den we kin rest too.’ 

“Den dey stopped erbuzzin’ and all flew 
erway an’ de Queen Bee waved her wings 
at ’em coz she was proud uv her working peo¬ 
ple, an’ she went back to her throne reddy 
fur ter eat honey. All dat booful Sabbath 
Day de bees spent ergatherin’ de honey 
from the honeysuckle flowers. 

“But Gawd doan nebber fur git dem dat 


10 













disobeys Him an’ he sont er strong wind ter 
blow dem bees inter his Manshun in de sky. 
He told dem what dey had dun an’ dey did- 
den eben buzz, coz dey knowed hit wuz de 
trufe. Gawd knowed He had made dem bees 
ter love dey work an’ he knowed how big de 
temptashun wuz fur dem to work all de time, 
so he let dem chuse ’tween two punishments. 
Dey could work all seben uv de days Gawd 
had made an’ neber rest none, an’ neber 
touch de honeysuckle flowers; or dey cud 
rest one day an’ hab all de other flowers in 
de worl’ ter git honey from de other six days. 
De flowers wuz erbloomin’ all eround’ an’ 
dey cud smell de honeysuckles an’ dey 


n 











knowed dem, cups wuz full uv sweetness, 
but den dey knowed de worl’ wuz full uv 
sweet flowers, an’ dey could find honey 
everwhere. So dey chused to work all de 
time an’ neber tech de honeysuckles agin, 
an’ dat is how cum bees neber tech dem 
honey-full blossoms.” 

“How does you lak dat one honey?” ask¬ 
ed Aunt Dorcas. 

“I like sticky honey flowers better than 
sticky Tar Babies, but please tell me another 
one,” pleaded Elsie. Aunt Dorcas smoothed 
her apron and proceeded. 

“Dis time I gwinter tell you how cum frogs 
iz pop-eyed. Lots er things dat Gawd made 


12 











got dissaterfied coz dey didden hab sense er- 
nufF ter understan’ how dey wuz made, an* 
dey didden know dey had ter git ’sperience 
erbout dis here worl’. De frog he complain¬ 
ed coz he wuz tired uv settin’ on his tail, fur 
in dem days frogs had tails an’ didden hab 
no eyes. One day dat discontented frog fell 
inter a hole so deep he cudden git out. He 
jumped an’ he jumped, but ever time he 
jumped he fell back on he tail. While he 
was ersittin’ dare er ole mole cum erlong 
scratchin’ his way thru de groun,’ and cum 
ter dat same hole whar de frog was ersittin.’ 
De mole’s eyes wuz full er dirt an’ he begun 
ter cumplane uv he’s hard luck. 


13 













“ ‘Who is you,’ axed de frog, fur de ani¬ 
mals was not ’quainted wid each udder den. 

“ ‘I is de mole,’ sed he. ‘I was er diggin’ 
mah way erlong an’ fell inter dis hole. Mah 
eyes is full er dirt an’ I ain’t got enny tail ter 
bresh hit out wid, an’ mah feets is too short 
ter reach mah eyes, and dey turn backwards 
ennyway. So I has ter suffer twell de dirt 
melts outter mah eyes. Who is you?’ 

‘I is de frog,’ he sed, an’ looked so sol¬ 
ium dat de mole ’sposed it was mitey serus 
ter be er frog, an’ maybe it am a serus thing. 

“Den de frog sed, ‘I got er tail but ’taint 
no yuse to me coz I sets on it all de time. You 
libe in de dark an’ doan need enny eyes an’ 


14 
















jest gits ’em full er dirt. ’Spose we trade. 
I will gib yuh mah tail fur yore eyes.’ 

“De mole ergreed, an’ he cut off de frog’s 
tail wid he sharp teeth an’ claws an’ den de 
frog tied hit keerfully at de end er de mole’s 
body whar tails orter be. Den dey got ’fraid 
fur how wuz dey gwinter git de mole’s eyes 
outer he haid. De frog cudden see how ter 
do it coz he didden hab no eyes, and de mole 
cudden rech um wid he’s short flat feet. 
Rite den er burd come flyin’ erlong an’ dey 
axed him ter do de work. De burd wuz er- 
lookin’ fur er wurm fur his mate an’ de little 
burds dat hollered all de time, but he stop¬ 
ped ter hep um. Wid his sharp bill de burd 









pecked erround de mole’s eyes an’ tuk um 
boff out an’ de mole went erscratchin’ er- 
long an’ mitey proud uv de new tail. Den 
de burd pecked two holes in de haid uv de 
frog an’ stuck in de mole’s eyes in de holes, 
but he wuz in er hurry an’ he didden take 
time ter peck de holes deep ernuff an de eyes 
wudden go in good but stuck out frum de 
frog’s haid. De frog cudden see heseff an’ 
didden know the work was er bad job, so he 
axed de burd to lift him outer de hole an’ 
den de burd flew away an’ leff dem eyes er- 
stickin’ haff way out an’ dey growed dat air 
way. Dat is why frogs is allways pop-eyed 


16 















an’ dat is why young frogs* hab tails an’ no 
eyes, an’ lose dey tails when dey gits eyes.” 

“How does you like dat one honey?” 
asked Aunt Dorcas. 

“I like it,” said Else, “but tell me an¬ 
other.” 

“Aint yuh ergitten sleepy yit?” she 
asked. 

Elsie declared she was wide awake 
though her eyelids were drooping even as 
she begged for another story. Aunt Dorcas 
cheerfully continued. 

“Dis time I gwinter tell yer how de Blue 
Jay sold heseff to de debil. All de burds is 


*Tadpol< 














got marks on dey bressbones an’ dat mark is 
de sign of de work. De Dove iz got er ‘M’ 
on his bressbone for to mean ‘Mourner’ coz 
he mourns all de time an’ kaint stop coz 
dat is his bizness, jess to mourn ober de trub- 
ble in dis here world. De Blue Jay is de deb¬ 
it's burd an’ got er curus mark on his bress¬ 
bone. Nobody ain’t nebber knowed what 
dat curus mark do mean coz de Blue Jay ain’t 
neber told it, but de debil put it dare. Dat 
Blue Jay am er mitey curus burd. He awl 
time er fightin’ de udder burds an’ eatin’ up 
dey eggs an’ dey baby burds, an’ de udder 
burds doan lub him erbit. But Blue Jay doan 
keer fur dat. He am er mitey biggerty burd, 


18 















he am jess like er good lookin’ ‘oman, coz 
he knows he am good looking too. Hit hap¬ 
pen’ dis er way erbout dat curus mark. One 
day de Blue Jay had whipped er burd outer 
her nest an’ et up all her eggs when de debil 
cum erlong an’ sed: 

“ ‘Good work, Blue Jay. Fite um an’ git 
what you want. Say Blue Jay, kin you keep 
er secret?’ ” 

“ ‘Try me, sed de Blue Jay. 

“Den de debil sed, ‘I got lots er fokes do¬ 
in’ debilment work but dey doan do it rite 
all de time, an’ it pesters me to be ercumin’ 
frum Hell all de time to keep dem doin’ de 


19 











work. I needs er flyin’ spy to cum an’ tell 
me when things is ergoin’ rong. Kaint you 
be de Spy Burd an’ bring me de news when 
de debilment work is ergitten slack?” 

“’If I does dat fur you, whut is you gwin 
ter do for me?’ axed de Blue Jay. 

” ‘I will put er mark on yer bressbone dat 
will bring you all my strength when you fites 
an’ will keep dat top notch on yer haid stiff 
an’ shiney, an’ you will be de boss uv de little 
burds if you doan neber tell who put dat 
mark on you. If you do tell whut dat mark 
means den all your strength will be gone an’ 
de udder burds kin whip you.’ 


20 













“ ‘Now de Blue Jay wanted to be de boss 
burd and promused de debil ter go to Hell 
ever Friday an’ tell de debil how de debil- 
ment work is ergoin on, an’ help plan more 
debilments. He kep dat promus, an’ every 
Friday—dat unlucky day—de Blue Jay goes 
ter Hell, carries er twig uv er tree fur de 
debil’s fire an’ tells him de news of all de 
debilment work ergoin’ on in de world. 
Everything has ter work an’ de debil has to 
git folks to help do his work, an’ he put dat 
curus mark on de Blue Jay’s bressbone coz 
de Blue Jay belongs ter him fur ever, jess as 
de Dove belongs ter Gawd. Nobody aint 
neber knowed what dat curus mark on de 


21 











Blue Jay means, coz de Blue Jay haint neber 
told it, but it am de debil’s mark an’ de Blue 
Jay am de debil’s Spy Burd and nobody 
doan lub him coz he helps de debil in all his 
debilments. 

“How does you like dat one, honey?” 
asked Aunt Dorcas again, but Elsie was fast 
asleep, indifferent to Satan and all his spies, 
and Aunt Dorcas dozed in her chair until El¬ 
sie’s mother returned from the dinner party 
and relieved her vigil. 


22 


























































































